Professional Development and Urban Leadership: A Study of Urban Administrators' Perceptions of What Matters Most in Their Professional Development.

Walker, Elaine M.; Mitchel, Charles P.; Turner, Wayne

In 1996, a major overhaul in the delivery of professional development for administrators was undertaken in the urban school district under study. A Principal Leadership Institute was created and the 182 principals and vice-principals of the district were randomly assigned to 8 cohorts, each of which was affiliated with 1 of the 8 universities and colleges with a contract with the district for professional development services. The expressed needs of the administrators participating, the effectiveness of the school-university collaboration, and insights for future professional development were studied. Administrators were interviewed 3 times over 2 years, with response rates of 55 to 65%. The study finds that urban administrators have a wide variety of needs that they seek to have met through professional development opportunities. Educational administration programs at the college level cannot prepare administrators adequately for their complex roles, so that the need for continuous professional development becomes paramount. The lack of a coherent focus in this principal development institute created problems that were compounded by the competing notions of leadership advanced by the eight universities. Administrators found it difficult to translate the information they received into practice. (Contains 5 tables and 24 references.) (SLD)